In one of his strongest attacks on the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told an election rally in Delhi that "it is the symbol of all evils, like massive corruption and dynastic politics," in the country. Taking a swipe at Congress and its ally Aam Aadmi Party, PM Modi said, "the oldest corrupt party has joined hands with the 'kattar bhrashtachari' (highly corrupt) party in Delhi". PM Modi alleged that Congress and the "INDI alliance" have crossed all limits of appeasement and they want to reduce reservation quotas of Dalits, Adivasis and Backward castes in order to help minorities. "The Khan Market Gang wants to give the nation's property to Waqf boards, select sportspersons on the basis of religion and give bank loans to minorities. They want to give 15 per cent of the nation's budget to their minority vote-bank", PM Modi said.
The PM said, that whenever he talked about appeasement of minority vote-bank, he was blamed by the opposition for raising a "Hindu-Muslim issue", "but Modi is not worried about votes, he has the nation's interest in mind and shall continue to expose the nefarious aims of INDI alliance". Responding, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleged that PM Modi was trying to divert people's attention from pressing issues and he was confident that the I.N.D.I.A bloc would form government at the Centre on June 4. Delhi is going to the polls on May 25. PM Modi reminded voters of what happened during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. "Sikhs were burnt to death by putting burning tyres round their necks during the riots", PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister said, 'Congress and the "INDI alliance" have three points in common - they are highly communal, they are casteist and they are steeped in dynastic politics'. PM Modi did not name Kejriwal, but said, the voters of Delhi are watching the acts of "kattar bhrashtacharis" (highly corrupt leaders). "Even the courts are shocked on seeing evidences of their corruption...Modi will carry out a full x-ray of the assets of these people and restore the looted money to the nation", he said.
On his part, Arvind Kejriwal, along with his wife Sunita, took out a road show in Delhi's Malviya Nagar. Kejriwal said, "it is now almost certain that Modi will have to quit on June 4 and he is afraid of quitting. This is the reason why Modi is talking about 'mangalsutra' instead of real issues." Kejriwal promised that Delhi would be granted full statehood after the I.N.D.I.A bloc government is formed after June 4. Kejriwal has been maintaining a studied silence on the Swati Maliwal assault issue for the last one week, but, in an interview to a news agency, he said, this case should be probed impartially, since both sides are coming up with their own versions.
On Wednesday, Swati Maliwal alleged that she was being threatened by AAP leaders and was also being trolled on social media. She alleged that she was being subjected to character assassination and the main accused was openly travelling with the Chief Minister. "The same chief minister is now saying there must be an impartial probe. There can't be a bigger irony", she said. The May 13 incident at the CM House, in which Swati Maliwal was allegedly assaulted, is going to cost Kejriwal heavily in the Delhi Lok Sabha elections. It is going to cause political damage to his party, apart from legal hassles.
Kejriwal has been alleging that PM Modi is raising emotional issues in his campaign, but he is himself taking his wife Sunita in his road shows, making her to tell voters that if they voted for Modi, her husband will have to spend time in jail. If this is not emotional pressure, what else is it? Kejriwal is alleging that PM Modi is trying to raise the Muslim bogey of Hindu women going to lose their 'mangalsutras', but the fact remains that Kejriwal and INDI alliance leaders have been saying if PM Modi retains power, India will face dictatorship, Constitution will be scrapped and quotas for Dalits, Adivasis and Backwards will end. These allegations and counter-allegations are on the same lines.
The fact remains that Kejriwal has been in power in Delhi since 2013, two Lok Sabha elections were fought and in both elections, BJP swept all the seven parliamentary seats. There is one major difference this time. Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are allies now in Delhi, and are fighting the Lok Sabha elections jointly. Yet, the situation in Delhi does not seem to be difficult for BJP. The reason: It was Kejriwal who came to power by launching anti-corruption agitation, and now, he and his party are involved neck-deep in charges of corruption in liquor cases. Kejriwal himself is on 21 days' interim bail till June 1. Secondly, Kejriwal has joined hands with Congress. It was Kejriwal who had been promising people of sending corrupt Congress leaders to jail, 10 years ago. PM Modi reminded Delhi voters about what Kejriwal had then said. The AAP chief knows he is on a weak wicket this time.
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